Fermenting.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by Farmette

Worth, I'm thinking about ordering a fermenting crock for making sauerkraut, but it would probably be the next size down as I don't need to make as much as you are making. Question is, after you have the crock awhile, do you still like it? Thanks!

Yes I love it but here is the deal.
Many people have complained it is hard to clean out due to the rim it has and hard to get the water out for the same reason.
Well everything in life isn't easy what can I say.
I simply clean the thing and sponge up what reaming water with paper towel and let it dry.

If I had to do it over again I would have gotten two ten liter crocks instead of one 15 liter crock.
The 10 liter is 9 1/2" dia. x 11 1/2" H (w/o Lid), 13" H (w/ Lid)
The 15 liter is 11 1/4" dia. x 13 1/4"H (w/o Lid), 16"H (w/ Lid)
They are made in china but they are lead free.
The biggest mistake is looking in them too soon and or too much they need to be left alone and let them do their thing.
I have to say the 15 liter crock full is a bugger for me to pick up and move.

Worth

[Farmette]

Originally Posted by Worth1

Yes I love it but here is the deal.
Many people have complained it is hard to clean out due to the rim it has and hard to get the water out for the same reason.
Well everything in life isn't easy what can I say.
I simply clean the thing and sponge up what reaming water with paper towel and let it dry.

If I had to do it over again I would have gotten two ten liter crocks instead of one 15 liter crock.
The 10 liter is 9 1/2" dia. x 11 1/2" H (w/o Lid), 13" H (w/ Lid)
The 15 liter is 11 1/4" dia. x 13 1/4"H (w/o Lid), 16"H (w/ Lid)
They are made in china but they are lead free.
The biggest mistake is looking in them too soon and or too much they need to be left alone and let them do their thing.
I have to say the 15 liter crock full is a bugger for me to pick up and move.

Worth

I would guess there is a good reason for the rim. Your point about letting them do their thing is well taken...I will just have to be patient.
I just got this huge cabbage at the Farmer's Market and now I am itching to do something with it. The 10 liter crock sounds about right for me...I don't want to hurt myself or anyone else. Thanks for the advice!!

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by Farmette

I would guess there is a good reason for the rim. Your point about letting them do their thing is well taken...I will just have to be patient.
I just got this huge cabbage at the Farmer's Market and now I am itching to do something with it. The 10 liter crock sounds about right for me...I don't want to hurt myself or anyone else. Thanks for the advice!!

The rim is there because it is the under side of the water moat the lid fits on.
If you get it be careful it would be a tragedy to break it.

Here are the limes the new jar of fermented onions I started today and the peppers I have no idea when I started.
The onions were made with a pint of water 1-1/2 tablespoons of canning salt dill seeds and some garlic cloves.
Worth
20160810_165111.jpg

[Worth1]

Fermenting update.
The Habs are on roll again and every time I crack the lid it fizzes like a soda pop.

The onions in less than 24 hours have started to build a wee bit of pressure.
This morning I had a renegade onion that didn't want to stay covered so I ate it.
By doing this I discovered something.
Before putting them in the brine they were some of the strongest eye watering onions I have ever seen.
In less then 24 hours they mellowed right out and had a sweet mild onion flavor.
Almost like they were caramelized.
All my life I have heard all sorts of thing to mellow out a strong onion.
I have never heard of soaking them in a brine solution.
If you have strong onions you cant stand to put on burgers salads or sandwiches I cant think of a better way to tame them down.

Worth

[Worth1]

I cannot describe how good the habanero peppers are starting to smell.
This stuff is going to make some of the best sauce ever.

Worth

[Cole_Robbie]

I was going to ask if pickles were fermented. Apparently, yes and no, but not really.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/real-...-zbcz1505.aspx

[Karrr_Luda]

Worth, your ferments look good, wish I could taste i have done lemons, never tried limes, wander what they taste like. Just making some pickles today, and have a big jar of overfermented kimchi in the fridge, will have to handle it all by myself. No time for anything, had freelance work, also looking for full tme job. Deer and woodchucks are taking care of my garden this year. Saving seeds from what i can. Just stopped by to say hello! Did you ever try fermenting okra? just a thought

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

I was going to ask if pickles were fermented. Apparently, yes and no, but not really.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/real-...-zbcz1505.aspx

Cole when I saw it was mother earth news I had my suspicion as to the validity of the information.
Or at least a good explanation.

First lets get to the term pickle.
A salt water brine is called a pickle as well as many other solutions some of which are used in the steel and gun bluing industry.
I wont even get into the ways the word cure is used but you can cure something in a pickle and it doesn't have to be food.
Olives are cured/fermented in salt water if not you wouldn't be able to eat them.
As well as season you can season steel and iron coming from letting it go throughout several seasons so it removes stresses during heavy machining and casting.
This is done before the final finish milling.
This is why an engine will develop more horsepower after it has been rebuilt.
It has went through several heating and cooling cycles to relieve stresses then re-milled.
Now when it heats up the cylinder wall stay round and the deck stays flat.

Back to pickles as of the cucumber type, yes they are fermented washed and then put in jars with a brine spice vinegar solution added and maybe maybe not pasteurized.
Even the sweet gherkins are fermented the same way and then a solution of around 2 parts vinegar, 1 part water, around 1 part sugar or more are added with spices after they are washed.

I have no idea what they do with some of the other stuff.

So there you go an over explained answer to your question on pickles and where the word comes from.
Sauerkraut is pickled you are eating pickled cabbage.
You can make it taste like the kosher refrigerator dill and you can make peppers taste like sauerkraut.
It is as easy as falling off a log, really, if you mess up you will know it unlike canning.

Originally Posted by Karrr_Luda

Worth, your ferments look good, wish I could taste i have done lemons, never tried limes, wander what they taste like. Just making some pickles today, and have a big jar of overfermented kimchi in the fridge, will have to handle it all by myself. No time for anything, had freelance work, also looking for full tme job. Deer and woodchucks are taking care of my garden this year. Saving seeds from what i can. Just stopped by to say hello! Did you ever try fermenting okra? just a thought

Thank you and no okra yet but I need to.

Worth

[Worth1]

Any news on the fermenting front?
I just tested my habanero peppers and onions and they are fantastic.

Worth.

[Worth1]

Many years ago when I was a kid I read a book about some ships captain flogging someone for steeling his pickled onions.
Now I know why.
These things are darn good.
Nothing like those cocktail onions you see in the store.

Worth

[Worth1]

I am having more fun than a barrel of monkeys with my old/new lathe.
Here is my new sauerkraut jar packing/tamping tool complete with stand.
All made from scraps and made in the USA.
Worth
20160826_141307.jpg

20160826_141320.jpg

[Susan66]

Oooh! Love it! Got a lot of cabbage growing out there in my garden. May be time to get out one of our old crocks and try my hand at sauerkraut.
Susan

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by Susan66

Oooh! Love it! Got a lot of cabbage growing out there in my garden. May be time to get out one of our old crocks and try my hand at sauerkraut.
Susan

My big one for the cabbage is on a long pole.
A good two to three week ferment on the cabbage and it tastes like a Claussen pickle.
The next time I make it I am adding a ton of dill seed.

Worth

[Cole_Robbie]

I have a mild case of psoriasis, and I am just now reading that some people believe it to be related to one's intestinal bacteria. A friend on another forum recommended that I try milk kefir: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kefir

So I may end up joining the fermenting club....

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

I have a mild case of psoriasis, and I am just now reading that some people believe it to be related to one's intestinal bacteria. A friend on another forum recommended that I try milk kefir: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kefir

So I may end up joining the fermenting club....

Please do I have been begging you to.
You simply wont get over how much better you will feel.

Worth